Huntsville gazette., 1887-12-10
THE UNITED STATES NAVY
SECRETARY WHITNEY'S REPORT OF
ITS CONDITION.

publican Convention-Other Notes.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 9.-In his annual re-
port the secretary Of the navy says: "It is
with much satisfaction that the department.
is able to report upon the occurrences Of
the past year. Many difficulties have stood
in the way Of the creation of creditable
new navy. During the last year many of
these have been removed, and if it is the
will of the country that we should be pos
sessed of a navy able to maintain, when
required, the honor and dignity of the gov
ernment, it can now readily be created"
The secretary then outlines the work ac-
complished on the cruisers, armed vessels,
coast defen5es, eto In this connection he
adds: "Some slight delay in construction
of the cruisers under control has doubtless
resulted, and much jarring and unpleasant
ness at first, but at the present time, all
concur that the quality Of tho steel has been
improved and that more reliable processes
| have come to light and all dissatisfaction
has disappeared Especially has the steel
made upon the Pacific coast been notable
for its quality, and the construction of the
cruisers there may mark an important event
in its industrial history"
Il6 says. 1uc Qopdk uiuouG ucoilo ~ I'LL
wise to follow at present the course Of the
European powers in building unprotected
torpedo boats. 1t recognizes the power Of
the dynamite projectile, and believes it
practicable to embody it in such manner as
to insure that it will reach any da,ired OBJ
ject of attack in spite of known weapons
and upon that problem it is engaged. l find
myself unable to concur in the recommen-
dation that the single-turreted monitors be
repaired and made ready for coast defense
vessels. An examination of their charac-
teristics shows that outside of the ships in
our own navy, no. antagonist could proba-
bly, be found against which they could
stand for a moment. They were good yes
sells for their time but are entirely obso-
Iete. 1t would be little less than murder to
send men i'll these at the present time to
encounter any recently built ironclad
II appreciate fully that it was only as
temporary expedient that it is suggested,
and with the thought that in the absence of
ything else these might be better than
nothing This has been the theory upon
which over $50 900, 900, and probably s75,-
00U, 900, has been spent since the close of the
war. 1t is time to stop it, and be content
only with the best If every dollar is made
to count Oh something of real value, waste
will stop, and not before"
After describing the extravagant system
Of repairing vessels in past years, the re-
pairs often costing several times as much as
the vessel did, the secretary says: at is
often the subject of wonder what has be-
come of the 10000 900 spent upon war
vessels since the close of the war, in view Of
the fact that there is now no navy. The
foregoing bit of history will serve as an
Illustration.
1.-THE pneumatic dynamite gun has been
developed by private enterprise to the point
where it merits immediate attention. What
ever destruction a torpedo can do this pro-
jectile can do if accurately placed Against
its method of attack neither nets nor ma
chine guns are of any considerable use. 1t
can be fired at such distance an to be
beyond the effective range Of machine guns
and the line of flight of its projectile escapes
nets There are questions yet to be settled
before its efficiency for naval purposes can
be fully determined. This invention. like
every other, has its own peculiar problems
to solve, but the zeal and intelligence thus
far given to the development promises ulti-
mate success.
"For coast and harbor defense, to be fred
from land batteries, its accuracy is substan-
TALLY established, but for naval purposes
other elements of difficulty intervene The
movement Of the vessel destroys the possi-
bility of availing OF range previously
determined by experiment. However, the
problems to be solved are receiving the
most jealous study, and it is believed by
those interested that in time all will be
worked out
On the subjects of naval reserve and
coast defenses he says: 'The department.
has informed itself fully as to the different
systems Of coast defense and naval reser yes
in use in foreign countries, and is prepared
to formulate plan for similar organization
to meet the requirements of American in
stitutions. 1t should resemble that Of the
militia or National guard and rest upon the
foundations of local interest"
The estimates for the navy and marine
corps for the current fiscal year amounted
| s26, 1872, 1898 70. The estimates for the fiscal
year ending June 20, 1889, amount to s23,-
427 $40 49, or g. l31, ,53s SO less than the esti-
mates. and 81, 1854, 7S3, 66 less than the appro-
priations for the current fiscal year.
| Speci attention is called to the consider
ations presented in the report in reference
to the provision OF additional facilities for
naval work on the Pacific coast especially
| in the neighborhood Of Puget sound, the
great coal aud iron region Of the future
upon this coast. Apart from this question
of an additional naval station, measures
should certainly be taken to place the only
naval station now existing upon the coast,
that at San Francisco in fully equipped
condition.
| Another and most important subjeeot re-
ferred to in the report is the question of
making available our naval resources on
the gulf coast. The necessity for naval
station on the shores Of the gulf is impera-
tive. It appears to the bureau that Pensa-
cola, though defective in some respects,
combines many advantages for naval sta
| ton, and that, by the removal of the yard
to the upper rart of the bay, railroad con-
| nections can be made and other benefits se-
| cured
The secretary recommends the construc-
| tion of five new ships, as follows: two
| armor clad vessels to cost exclusive of arma-
ment not more than 81, 00O,0 900, one to be
built by contract and one at the navy yards;
| also three fast cruisers of tho highest type.
| He ays that:
"Six years hence only four of the present
cruising ships will remain seryiceable In